Due to Will and Lisa driving Merlin away, General Lei was severely wounded and captured, brought to the city of Paralar. Without their leader, the Arus forces lost their will to fight, causing them to retreat steadily. With their general taken, the Arus forces had no choice but to withdraw temporarily. Now, the Arus Empire's primary concern was how to retrieve their only remaining general, Lei.
The day after the retreat of the Arus forces, in the Paralar Empire.
Although Will sustained several injuries in the battle, his wounds healed at an unimaginable pace, thanks to the mysterious energy within him. His right arm, which had been pierced by Merlin's disintegrating ray, was already fully healed.
With the retreat of the Arus forces and Merlin's disappearance, the immediate danger to Paralar City had passed. The citizens, who had taken shelter underground, slowly returned to the surface, rebuilding their homes and roads, preparing to resume their lives. The King of Paralar, in recognition of Will and Lisa's bravery, summoned them both to the palace.
"Ah, our heroes have arrived!" The King, who had been staring listlessly at the surroundings of the palace, suddenly perked up upon seeing Will and Lisa enter. His eyes widened, as if he had seen a long-awaited treasure.
Will and Lisa approached the King and bowed respectfully, before turning to do the same to Archbishop Matthew, who stood by the King's side.
"Mr. Will, we meet again," said Archbishop Matthew in a solemn tone, fixing Will with a stern gaze. Will knew that the Archbishop must still harbor resentment for his previous refusal to join the Holy Church. Acknowledging the Archbishop's greeting, Will gave a polite nod.
"Ah, the reason I've called for you today is that there is something I must discuss with you," the King said, suddenly losing his earlier excitement. His face grew serious as he looked down at a piece of parchment in his hands.
"This is a formal notice from the Arus Empire. They demand that we return their general within seven days, or they will unleash their full military might against us," the King said gravely.
At this, the room fell silent. The sudden news struck the people of Paralar, who had only just tasted victory, like a harsh blow to the face.
"So, what does Your Majesty intend to do?" Archbishop Matthew asked.
"As you know, Arus has allied with the United Nations. If Arus sends its forces to attack, the United Nations will surely join them. In that case, we stand no chance of withstanding their combined strength. Therefore, my proposal is to return their general," the King replied.
"But Your Majesty, have you considered what will happen if we return their general and they still proceed to attack us?" Archbishop Matthew questioned. Upon hearing this, the King fell silent, lowering his gaze and leaning back in his high-backed chair. He appeared to have been troubled by this very dilemma for some time.
"Your Majesty, I have some news to share with you," Lisa suddenly broke the silence.
"Oh? What is it?" The King looked at her expectantly.
"It concerns the general, Lei, whom we captured. There may still be a way out," she said.
"A way out? Really? What news? Tell me quickly!" The King's voice rose with anticipation.
...
Not long after, in the prison of the Paralar Empire.
Will and Lisa slowly walked into the prison, heading straight for the farthest end of the dungeon. They opened the door at the end, which led to a special holding area for dangerous prisoners. This was a place they were both very familiar with, for it was where Lisa had once been held, and where Will had often visited with Eddie to rescue her.
As soon as they entered, they heard the distant sounds of agonized cries echoing from the spiral staircase. Will and Lisa exchanged uneasy glances, sensing something was wrong. They quickened their pace, rushing down the stairs to open the prison door.
"Stop!" Will shouted without pausing to take in the scene.
Inside, General Lei, captured by the Paralar Empire, was chained to the wall. Sweat drenched his body, his shirt was open, and fresh wounds marred his chest. Facing him was Eddie, now missing his right arm, holding a long, thick whip. Upon hearing Will's shout, Eddie turned back with a look of disdain. Eddie, once sporting short, neat hair, now wore long, unkempt brown hair, his face covered with stubble, as if he hadn't bothered to groom in a long time.
"Will?" Eddie said, perplexed.
"Eddie, what are you doing?" Will shouted, astonished.
"Hah? He's Merlin's accomplice. Merlin killed so many of our people. What do you think I'm doing?" Eddie snapped, then lashed out with the whip, making General Lei cry out in pain.
Seeing this, Will could no longer restrain himself. He rushed over to Eddie, grabbing the whip from his hand.
"Do you know what you're doing?" Eddie, bewildered by Will's actions, said angrily.
"I certainly do. That's why I'm here. I'm taking him out of here right now," Will responded, his voice resolute.
"Impossible! They killed so many of our people! I won't let you take him so easily!" Eddie roared.
"I understand," Will said calmly.
"No, you don't! How could you possibly understand? You're not even a Paladin!" Eddie countered, defiantly challenging Will.
Before Eddie could finish speaking, Will's fist landed squarely on his face, sending Eddie sprawling backward. Of course, Will didn't use his full strength, for Eddie, an ordinary man, would have surely perished if he had.
"The last time I hit you, it was to wake you up. This time, I'm still doing the same, Eddie!" Will shouted. Eddie, now lying on the ground, wiped the blood from his mouth and quickly got to his feet, storming off.
"How did he become like this?" Lisa asked, confused.
"Perhaps it's because of the death of our comrades and Leon. He's probably been deeply affected," Will answered.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, it's best if he cools down for a while," Will said, then walked over to General Lei, who looked severely injured.
"General Lei, Lisa and I will get you back to Arus immediately," Will said, as he broke the chains binding Lei.
"What?" General Lei, weary and shocked, looked at Will in surprise.